Features of participation of the population of cities of the European North of Russia in public and municipal administration

Citizens’ participation in managing the country’s development contributes to the formation of civil society and acts as a key element of democracy. In Russia, where three-quarters of the population are urban residents, it is especially important to study these issues in relation to cities, so as to understand the processes taking place in society and work out effective strategies for its development. The aim of the work is to consider ways in which residents of cities in the European North of Russia participate in state and municipal administration and to identify its features in settlements of different sizes. Based on the data of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation we analyze the turnout of residents of 68 cities of the European North of Russia for the presidential election of the Russian Federation (2018) and the election to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (2021). We also assess the level of voter support provided to President Vladimir Putin and the United Russia party. It is revealed that the electoral activity of residents is determined to a greater extent by the peculiarities of the structure of the city’s economy rather than the size of the city. Based on the analysis of the results of voting for the choice of urban improvement objects, it was found that residents of sparsely populated cities are more motivated and involved in these processes. We also find out that territorial public self-government is most actively used in small, rather than large, cities. In order to assess the informal mechanisms of citizens’ participation, we analyze the availability of official profiles of local self-government bodies on VKontakte social media and the number of their subscribers, as well as data on the number of participants in informal urban communities. We have revealed that this method of communication with the authorities is mostly used by residents of small settlements. Scientific significance of the study lies in determining the features of dissemination of various mechanisms of civic participation, depending on the type of city. Practical significance lies in the possibility of using our findings by the authorities in improving the policy of involving citizens in management processes.